The Gujarat government in March proposed a second home for Asiatic lions – Barda Wildlife Sanctuary, about 100km away from Gir.
“The Gir Protected Area population and natural dispersal in a new surrounding area, including Barda Wildlife Sanctuary, have the potential to achieve this goal,” the Centre said.
Some conversationists, are, however, against the relocation of the Asiatic lions to Kuno altogether.
Retired chief conservator of forest Uday Vora told Ahmedabad Mirror that the habitat of Kuno is totally different from Gir – and that “lions and tigers cannot co-exist”.
Countering the threat of an epidemic, he said the chances were quite low in Gir as it has “one of the best infrastructure”.
Chellam told The Quint that theintroduction of the cheetahs in Kuno had now delayed the translocation of lions by at least a decade if not more.
“Now that the cheetahs have been introduced, translocation by the time the cheetah population establishes itself will be about 15 years,” he said.
Even…